When St. Augustine penned “The City of God,” he contrasted pagan culture, marked by the values and practices of fallen human nature, with Christian culture, marked by the love of God and grace.
It has been observed that we live once again in a pagan culture not unlike that of the apostolic age or the age of the Church Fathers. Marked by hedonism and unfettered concupiscence (our tendency toward sin after the Fall), our cultural values have eroded from those illuminated by the Gospel to those governed by fallen impulses and limited human reason. We are social, moral and spiritual creatures, which means our choices inevitably build one culture or the other; we cannot remain unaffected or unaffecting.
As a result, it’s crucial we think about how we are being influenced and how we might positively influence others. Ultimately, St. Augustine asserted, our choices boil down to a rivalry between two primary loves: oneself over God or God over oneself. Paradoxically, as St. John Paul II would often emphasize, self-fulfillment can only be achieved through self-gift. By taking that risk, we not only discover deeper meaning for our own lives, but we also build a culture where others can find meaning and experience authentic love as well.
Building a culture of loving self-gift to God and neighbor, counter to the culture of self-interest, requires intentional formation. People’s worldviews, habits, mindsets, approaches, attitudes and character take shape over time through what they see, hear, read, watch and are taught. Made for God but formed within a culture that calls evil good and good evil, many people experience conflicted hearts as they yearn for love but are led astray toward so many dead ends, heartbreaks and dissatisfaction. It’s all the more imperative that Christ — the way, the truth, and the life — is offered to people today as early and as much as possible.
The older I get the more I am amazed at how effectively simple participation in the life of the Church imparts this vital formation. Bishops, priests, parents, catechists and Catholic school teachers provide essential intellectual and spiritual formation by which we learn the wisdom communicated through divine revelation as well as its practical application in everyday life. The lives of the saints and the examples of faithful Christians in religious communities and our families offer inspiring role models and evidence of the fruits of the Spirit. Sacramental life, especially regular reception of the Eucharist and reconciliation provides the consistent union with Christ needed to follow him as his disciples. Finally, the liturgical calendar sets a brilliant framework for us to meditate together on the life of Christ through common scriptural readings in the lectionary, feast days to celebrate key moments in Christ’s life and teachings about him, and opportunities to celebrate the saints who exemplify what we strive for in every walk of life and set of circumstances.
We can each do something to contribute to Christian formation. First, by participating in the life of the Church more fully ourselves and being better role models. Second, by stretching ourselves a little more by giving our time, talent and treasure to Church ministries.
With each season of life, it’s helpful to re-evaluate and pray about what we can do. The older we get, the more formation we have received through Christian experience, and the more we have to offer. I always encourage teens to volunteer for vacation Bible school or to help with any ministry for younger kids because the little ones look up to them. As adults we can step up to volunteer more at the parish or be more intentional about caring for the spiritual needs of our family or co-workers. We don’t have to be experts to provide a word of encouragement or wisdom from experience, especially to the young who are searching for solid ground upon which to build their future.
In our famished culture people eat scraps or find substitutes for love. Let’s choose love of God above all else, so that we and others might be nourished by the Spirit’s fruits and the seeds of faith may begin to grow.
Jendro teaches theology at Providence Academy in Plymouth and is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. She’s also a speaker and writer; her website is taketimeforhim.com.
